ATC hotlines dead for 5 hrs, but planes land and take off on time

Cellphones were used to ensure air services were not disrupted; work on satellite link is under way

Naveeta S

Cellphones saved the day for air-travellers on Sunday after hotlines connecting Mumbai Air Traffic Control (ATC) to other airports in the country went dead for five hours.

Officers on duty averted a collapse of the system, which would have resulted in disruption in air traffic or flight delays, by relaying and receiving information to and from their counterparts by using mobiles.

The eight to 10 hotlines at the tower stopped working between 6 am to 11 am. Airport sources said this happened because of digging work being carried out by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in the city.  "We had to use our cellphones to connect with other ATCs," said S R R Rao, Executive Director (Western Region), Airport Authority of India (AAI). 

However, using mobiles was not without its own problems for ATCs who have to keep records of conversations with other airports. "We cannot record our conversation on cellphones. This increased officers' workload as they had to write down important portions of their communication," said Rao.

Whenever an aeroplane takes off from Mumbai for Delhi, the Mumbai ATC calls up the Delhi ATC through these direct lines. "If the hotlines go dead it becomes difficult for us to function smoothly," said an ATC officer. 

To prevent a repeat of this inconvenience AAI is working on a Digital Satellite Communication Network (DSCN).  "About 80 locations in the country will be connected by this network which will reduce our dependence on telephone lines," said Rao. The project, which costs Rs 36 crore, is divided into two phases and will operate with Mumbai and Delhi as the hub.  "The first phase will get completed by July-August. The entire system will take about six more months to get operational," said a project officer.